This invention relates to a lock system for a watercraft, and more particularly to an improved combined lock and safety system for a watercraft.
There is a very popular type of small watercraft commonly referred to as a "personal watercraft" in which the rider normally rides on, rather than in, the watercraft. These personal watercraft are quite sporting in nature and frequently are operated by the rider and his passengers, if any, in swimming suits. Thus, it is expected by the rider and the occupants that they may fall from the watercraft into the body of water in which it is operating.
It has been proposed to provide a safety switch which will deactivate the engine ignition system, for example, by closing a kill switch, if the rider falls off of the watercraft. One way in which these types of safety switches operate is that the rider wears a cuff that is connected by a cable to a switch. If the rider falls off, the switch is closed and the kill circuit energized for stopping the engine.
Although this type of arrangement is very effective for safety purposes, it has certain disadvantages. First, when the kill switch is actuated, the battery may be discharged. Furthermore, if the operator uses the safety switch as a device for ensuring against theft, the watercraft may be stolen by manually positioning the safety switch in a condition wherein the watercraft can be restarted through the use of a tool.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved lock system for a watercraft.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved lock system for a personal watercraft that embodies a safety switch but also incorporates a main key-operated switch so as to de-energize the battery and prevent theft.
When a main switch is utilized with this type of watercraft, there is a problem in that the main switch may either become submerged or alternatively can ingest a large amount of water. As noted above, due to the sporting nature of these watercraft, the presence of a large amount of water is quite likely.
It is, therefore, a still further object of this invention to provide an improved main switch for a watercraft and method of waterproofing it.